Beware false charities

Some scammers have no shame, and will take advantage of your kind and giving nature for their own personal gain. Numerous shysters have seen the advantage of pretending to be a charity in order to get their grubby hands on your sympathetic cash.

But today the FTC is cracking down. It is starting a nationwide sweep targeting scam artists who claim to be raising money for veterans, firefighters, and police officers. In fact, the money these jerks collect ends up in their own pockets.

Before you give money to any charity, ask a few questions:

Get the charity’s name, address, and phone number, and ask for written information about its programs;

Find out what portion of your contribution will go to fundraising costs;